Indian-origin woman kills 11-year-old son after Disneyland trip amid custody battle

Ramaraju, who was treated at a hospital after her failed suicide attempt, was later charged with murder. If convicted, she could face up to 26 years in prison, including a sentence enhancement for the use of a deadly weapon, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s office.

#SantaAnaPD #PressRelease – Arrest Made in Homicide Investigation

Arrestee: Saritha Ramaraju (48) Irvine

SANTA ANA, Calif. (March 20, 2025)—Santa Ana Police have arrested a 48-year-old woman for stabbing and killing her child.

On Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at approximately… pic.twitter.com/SgtZH9MQ8W

— SantaAnaPD (@SantaAnaPD) March 20, 2025

The murder comes amid an intense custody battle between Ramaraju and her ex-husband, Prakash Raju, a native of Bengaluru and a senior data architect at Irvine-based Panasonic Avionics Corp. The couple, who divorced in 2018, had been fighting for custody since last year after Ramaraju accused Raju of making medical and educational decisions for their son without consulting her.

In court documents, Ramaraju also alleged that Raju had a history of substance abuse and accused him of being “very aggressive under the influence of alcohol, drugs, and smoke.” She claimed that her son was afraid to speak to her because he feared getting “in trouble with dad.”

Raju, however, maintained that they shared joint legal custody, which allowed Ramaraju to access school and medical records directly from the provider.

Court records show that Raju had pleaded guilty in June 2023 to driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol content of 0.25 percent — over three times the legal limit. However, he claimed to have taken steps to ensure such an incident would never happen again. During his probationary period, Raju completed court-mandated programs, attended personal counselling, and abstained from alcohol.

Raju also accused Ramaraju of displaying a lack of parental responsibility. He pointed out that she had been absent from the life of her daughter, Veda, for over 23 years after abandoning her from a previous marriage.

Ramaraju, who lived in Fairfax, Virginia, had reportedly been trying to gain full custody of Yatin and move him with her.

Reacting to the tragic incident, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer expressed anguish over the child’s fate. “The life of a child should not hang in the balance between two parents whose anger for each other outweighs their love for their child,” Spitzer said.